Sunday, January 01, 2006
gifts for the new year
as promised, i wanted to dedicate a post to new year's resolutions. as i mentioned in my post about celebrating 2005, resolutions can become a way to beat up on ourselves and feel inadequate for what we haven't yet figured out, but that doesn't mean we need to abandon them all together. resolutions can also be a powerful tool of decision and goal setting.
deciding to do something, just simply deciding, is a powerful act. i have a list of goals hanging on my wall in my bedroom which has been there now for over two years. when i wrote that list around this time of year a couple years back the things on it seemed like distant dreams. now, two years later, each and every one of them is taking shape in my life. and almost all of them in ways i never could have imagined or planned as i wrote that list.
this year, as i began thinking about new year's resolutions the thought occured to me that i could think of my resolutions as the gifts i want to give myself in the new year. after all, that is what they should be right?
what would it mean for you to adopt this perspective as you set your resolutions? the first thing that i decided after adopting this perspective was that this meant realistic resolutions were the only ones making the list. setting unattainable goals for myself would be less about gift giving and more about energy draining.
secondly, i noticed that when considering my list of resolutions through this lens, saying yes to things would also be accompanied by saying no. creating a list of things i wanted to do would mean i would need a list of things i would be saying no to - because saying yes to everything is a recipe for overwhelm and frustration.
allowing the perspective of giving myself gifts in the new year inform my resolutions led to a short, sweet, simple list this year. one that feels like a guide towards greater joy more than a list of things to do. i'm excited to get started on making these resolutions real.
what gifts do you want to give yourself in the new year?
what do you want to say yes to? what do you want to say no to?
as always, i'd love to hear your thoughts feel free to post 'em here!
dream big,
-kirsten
deciding to do something, just simply deciding, is a powerful act. i have a list of goals hanging on my wall in my bedroom which has been there now for over two years. when i wrote that list around this time of year a couple years back the things on it seemed like distant dreams. now, two years later, each and every one of them is taking shape in my life. and almost all of them in ways i never could have imagined or planned as i wrote that list.
this year, as i began thinking about new year's resolutions the thought occured to me that i could think of my resolutions as the gifts i want to give myself in the new year. after all, that is what they should be right?
what would it mean for you to adopt this perspective as you set your resolutions? the first thing that i decided after adopting this perspective was that this meant realistic resolutions were the only ones making the list. setting unattainable goals for myself would be less about gift giving and more about energy draining.
secondly, i noticed that when considering my list of resolutions through this lens, saying yes to things would also be accompanied by saying no. creating a list of things i wanted to do would mean i would need a list of things i would be saying no to - because saying yes to everything is a recipe for overwhelm and frustration.
allowing the perspective of giving myself gifts in the new year inform my resolutions led to a short, sweet, simple list this year. one that feels like a guide towards greater joy more than a list of things to do. i'm excited to get started on making these resolutions real.
what gifts do you want to give yourself in the new year?
what do you want to say yes to? what do you want to say no to?
as always, i'd love to hear your thoughts feel free to post 'em here!
dream big,
-kirsten
# posted by kirsten johnson @ 8:21 PM 